Email Marketing Tools for Affiliate Marketers: Which Ones Actually Allow Affiliate Links?
Most email-tool comparisons look at templates and price. For an affiliate marketer, the first question is simpler and more important: will this platform let you send affiliate links at all? Some email services ban affiliate marketing in their content policy, and an account can be closed for breaking it, list included. Checking the policy before you import a single contact saves that pain.
The short answer
MailerLite
Lists "Affiliate marketing and multi-level marketing (MLMs)" among content it does not allow. Not a fit if your emails promote affiliate offers.
Kit and ActiveCampaign
Both accept affiliate links inside mostly original content. Neither wants emails that exist only to push offers.
Systeme.io, GetResponse, AWeber, Brevo
None of their policies names affiliate marketing. All of them ban spam, bought lists and get-rich-quick content.
For DACH and EU lists
Systeme.io, MailerLite and Brevo state EU hosting. ActiveCampaign assigns an EU data center by location; GetResponse says recipients are mainly in the EEA.
Side by side
| Affiliate links in emails | Free plan | Landing pages | Where data is stored | Double opt-in | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systeme.io | No published restriction found; bans links that redirect to different pages per click | Yes: 2,000 contacts, unlimited emails | Funnels included (3 on Free) | EU (AWS Ireland) | Yes, per form |
| GetResponse | No published restriction found | Yes: 500 contacts, 2,500 newsletters a month | 1 on Free; unlimited on paid plans | Recipients mainly in the EEA | Yes |
| AWeber | No published restriction found | Offered; limits not listed on its own pages | 3 on the entry paid plan | US (EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework) | Yes |
| MailerLite | Not allowed (content policy) | Yes: 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails a month | 1 on Free | EU data center | Yes, on by default |
| Kit | Allowed inside mostly original content; some niches excluded | Yes: up to 10,000 subscribers, Kit branding | Unlimited, Free included | US and elsewhere; no EU option stated | Yes |
| ActiveCampaign | Allowed if not the main focus of the email | No; 14-day trial | Not on the entry plan | EU, US or APAC, assigned by location | Yes, on by default |
| Brevo | No published restriction found | Yes: 300 emails a day, Brevo branding | Not on Free or the entry plan | EU (France, Germany, Belgium) | Yes |
Sources: content policies for MailerLite, Kit and ActiveCampaign; acceptable-use pages for GetResponse, AWeber and Brevo; Systeme.io link rules; each vendor's pricing page. Checked 20 October 2026. "No published restriction found" means the official policies we read do not mention affiliate marketing; it is not a promise that every campaign will be accepted.
What the policies actually say
MailerLite: not allowed
MailerLite's help center lists the content it does not permit, and affiliate marketing is on the list next to MLM, get-rich-quick schemes, loans and gambling. It is a capable, easy tool with EU hosting and a free plan, but if your emails exist to recommend affiliate products, pick something else before you build the list there. Read the policy ↗
Kit: allowed, inside your own content
Kit says affiliate links are fine when they are "clearly labeled and sprinkled into your own content". Its guidance puts the bulk of each email (roughly 70 to 80 percent) on your own writing, and it does not allow affiliate links for education, loans or online pharmacies. Senders whose emails are mostly offers are told Kit is not the right fit. Read the policy ↗
ActiveCampaign: allowed, but not as the focus
ActiveCampaign states that affiliate links "should not be the primary focus of the email" and bans emails about making money from home. A newsletter that teaches something and mentions a product works; a broadcast that only pitches an offer does not. Read the policy ↗
Systeme.io, GetResponse, AWeber and Brevo: no specific rule found
None of these four names affiliate marketing in the policies we read. All of them ban spam, purchased lists and deceptive content, and Brevo specifically bans "get rich fast" and "make money passively" offers. Systeme.io adds one rule affiliates should know: links that "redirect to multiple pages depending on the click" are prohibited, and shortened links are discouraged. Link rotators and some short-link services can break that rule, so send plain or tracked links that always go to the same page.
The tools one by one
Systeme.io
An all-in-one (funnels, email, courses, checkout) with a free plan that does not expire: 2,000 contacts, unlimited emails, 3 funnels and 1 automation rule. Data is hosted by AWS in Ireland. Watch the link rule above if you use rotators.
- Beginners who want pages and email in one free account
- EU and DACH lists (EU hosting)
- You rely on link rotators in emails
- You need advanced, branching automation on day one
Visit Systeme.io ↗ · pricing ↗
GetResponse
Email marketing with landing pages, webinars on higher plans, and ready-made automation templates, including an "affiliate marketing" workflow. The free plan covers 500 contacts and 2,500 newsletters a month; automations on Free are drafts only. The company is Poland-based and says its data recipients are mainly in the EEA.
- Affiliates who want templates built around their use case
- Lists that need unlimited landing pages on a paid plan
- You need working automations on the free plan
- Your free list will pass 500 contacts quickly
Visit GetResponse ↗ · pricing ↗
AWeber
One of the oldest email services, with a free plan and paid plans priced by list size. The entry paid plan includes 3 automations and 3 landing pages. AWeber is US-based and participates in the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework; no EU hosting option is described. Its own pages do not list the free plan's limits, so check them at sign-up.
- Straightforward newsletters and autoresponders
- People who want phone and chat support from a long-running company
- Your subscribers are mainly in the EU and you want EU hosting
- You need many automations on the entry plan
MailerLite
Clean, simple and EU-hosted, with a free plan for 250 subscribers. Its content policy rules out affiliate marketing, so it suits creators whose emails promote their own products and services, not affiliate offers.
- Newsletters for your own products or services
- EU lists that need EU hosting
- Any of your emails promote affiliate offers
Visit MailerLite ↗ · pricing ↗
Kit
Built for creators and newsletter writers. The free plan is generous on list size (up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited broadcasts, unlimited landing pages and forms) and shows Kit branding. Kit's pricing page and help center describe the free plan's automation allowance differently, so confirm it before you plan a free-plan sequence.
- Writers whose emails are mostly original content
- Growing a large list before paying
- You promote education, loan or pharmacy offers
- You want EU data hosting
ActiveCampaign
Automation-heavy email and CRM, with no free plan (14-day trial). The entry plan allows multi-step automations with a limited number of actions and standard or inline forms, but no landing pages. Accounts are placed in an EU, US or APAC data center based on where you sign up from.
- Businesses that need detailed automation and segmentation
- Content-led newsletters that mention products occasionally
- Your emails are mainly affiliate promotions
- You need landing pages on the entry plan
Visit ActiveCampaign ↗ · pricing ↗
Brevo
Formerly Sendinblue, based in France with servers in the EU. Pricing is based on emails sent rather than contacts stored: the free plan holds a large contact list but sends 300 emails a day with Brevo branding. Landing pages start on its Standard plan.
- EU businesses with large lists and modest sending
- Transactional plus marketing email in one place
- You send daily to a big list on the free plan (300 a day)
- Your offers involve "make money" themes
How to choose in four questions
- Will your emails promote affiliate offers? Rule out MailerLite. If offers will be a big share of each email, Kit and ActiveCampaign are also a poor fit.
- Are most of your subscribers in the EU, Switzerland or the UK? Systeme.io, MailerLite and Brevo state EU hosting; ActiveCampaign can place you in its EU data center.
- Do you need pages and checkout too? Systeme.io and GetResponse include landing pages; Systeme.io also includes funnels and checkout.
- How big will the list be in a year? Compare free-plan caps (from 250 to 10,000 subscribers) and send limits before you start. Moving a list later means asking subscribers to confirm again on some platforms.
FAQ
Can I get banned for sending affiliate links?
Yes, on platforms whose policy forbids it, and on any platform if the emails look like spam. Read the acceptable-use policy, use double opt-in, and keep most of each email genuinely useful.
Should I cloak or shorten affiliate links in emails?
Be careful. Systeme.io discourages shortened links and prohibits links that redirect to different pages per click, and some inbox filters distrust link shorteners. A plain affiliate link or a branded tracking link that always resolves to one page is the safer choice.
Do I need double opt-in?
For lists in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, confirmed opt-in is the standard way to prove consent. All seven tools here support it.
Which of these has an affiliate program?
Most of them do, and the terms vary. FunnelTested links on this page are plain links, so they do not change what the page says.
Last checked 20 October 2026. If a policy or plan has changed, email hello@bazaargalore.com and the page will be corrected.